Weather Service forecasting severe thunderstorms for Friday afternoon

National Weather Service (NWS) is forecasting the potential for severe thunderstorms Friday afternoon and evening in central and western Massachusetts.

Storms could bring strong to damaging winds, hail, frequent lightening, and a low risk of a tornado. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for Berkshire, Hamden, Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester counties until 9 p.m.

Preparedness and Safety Information
Preparedness and safety information for thunderstorms and lightening is available at:

http://www.mass.gov/eopss/agencies/mema/emergencies/thunderstorms/

Preparedness and safety information for tornados is available at:

http://www.mass.gov/eopss/agencies/mema/emergencies/tornadoes/

MEMA Operations

The State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) at MEMA Headquarters in Framingham is currently operating at Level 1 (Steady State Monitoring). MEMA will continue to monitor the situation and issue additional Situational Awareness Statements as needed.

Stay Informed
Utilize Massachusetts Alerts to receive emergency notifications and information from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service. Massachusetts Alerts is a free app that is available for Android and iPhones. To learn more about Massachusetts Alerts, and for information on how to download the free app onto your smartphone, visit: www.mass.gov/mema/mobileapp
Utilize MEMA’s real-time power outage viewer to stay informed about current power outages in your community and region, and across the state, including information from utility companies about restoration times: http://mema.mapsonline.net/public.html
Utilize MEMA’s live weather radar and forecasting tools, including the live snowfall forecast map: http://memamaps.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=0da6e4d888b74317b52b7a5064aa3dc2
Online Resources